


Two Sunrises

by halosun



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, I have a soft spot for Mai ok, Missing Scene, Mutual Pining, finale re-write, katara and zuko are dumb and can't just say what they really feel, the first chapter does have maiko but this is primarily a zutara fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25132930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halosun/pseuds/halosun
Summary: Two conversations that Zuko has on the day of his coronationOr, Mai tries to reignite the past while Katara tries to understand the future
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

Pale sunlight streamed on to the palace balcony. It was just after sunrise and Zuko was finishing up his morning meditation. He had hoped that meditating would calm his nerves and bring him some mental clarity, as his coronation was that afternoon and despite his uncle’s best efforts, he was feeling more unprepared than ever. So far, though, it didn’t seem liked it had done him much good.

He stood up and started to pull on his robe, groaning as the movement tore at the wound on his chest, tightly wrapped in bandages and not yet entirely healed from Azula’s lightning. He doubted that it ever truly would if he were honest with himself. Another addition to his fast-growing collection of scars.

“You need some help with that?” he heard a voice call out, and he turned to see Mai leaning against the doorframe. 

"Mai! You’re okay! They let you out of prison?” He was immensely glad, if somewhat anxious, to see her.

Mai raised her eyes, and he was relieved to see a small smile on her face, which, in Mai terms meant that she was practically grinning ear to ear.

“My uncle pulled some strings,” she said, walking over and helping him with his other sleeve. She tied the sash of his robe and turned to face him, a teasing look in her eye. “And it doesn’t hurt that the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend.”

Zuko’s heart pounded. “Does this mean you don’t hate me anymore?” he asked. 

He remembered all too well the cold look she had given him back in that prison cell at the Boiling Rock. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but he had also known that she wouldn’t understand his reasons for leaving. But maybe she understood now. He would never forget his feelings of shock, gratitude, and guilt as he watched her take down the guards so that he and his friends could escape on the trolley, a move that was in direct violation of Azula’s orders.

To his surprise, Mai blushed. “I think it means I actually kind of like you,” she said sheepishly.

She reached up and kissed him softly then put her arms around him. They stood there quietly for a minute, and a question suddenly entered Zuko’s mind.

“Mai?” he asked softly. “Do you think I’ll be a good Fire Lord?”

She broke away slightly to stare up at him, looking confused.

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Everything’s going to be different now. I’ve changed so much but what if it’s not enough? What if the generals don’t respect me? What if—“

“Zuko.” Mai interrupted him. “That was a rhetorical question.”

“Oh.”

Mai smiled. "You’re going to be fine. Stop _worrying_.”

Zuko felt his face redden. Maybe he shouldn’t have said it, but it was true. Everything was going to be different. The country was different. He was different. He wondered if Mai would still like the new person he had become. He hoped so.

“Come on,” he said, smiling down at her. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

She drew her hand through his arm and they walked back into the palace, catching each other up on all they had missed in their time apart.

It would take time, Zuko realized, to get to know each other all over again in this new, fragile future. But they cared about each other, and for that reason, they were willing to try. For now, that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't hate me...I promise the next chapter has lots of Zutara!
> 
> I just have a soft spot for Zuko and Mai's relationship lol. It didn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would when I did my rewatch and the line "I love Zuko more than I fear you"...damn. It haunts me. Even though I don't think they would have worked out in the long run (and I tried to imply that a bit here) I still love my angsty goth bbs
> 
> Most of the dialogue is taken from the finale episode, though I left out the "don't ever break up with me again" line because honestly, it feels kind of OOC


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was filled with pink sugar-spun clouds. Zuko stood on the same balcony where he had meditated that morning and looked down into the city streets currently overflowing with people; all celebrating the end of the war and the coronation of a new Fire Lord. There was a huge party downstairs at the palace, where Zuko had been required to meet and shake hands with a seemingly never-ending line of nobles, dignitaries and generals. He had stolen away at the first possible moment to be alone. _Is this really going to be my future?_ he wondered.

The people below had started to light paper lanterns, which he knew would later be released into the sky for good luck. Zuko didn’t have a lantern, but he almost wished he did. Spirits knew he wasn’t exactly the luckiest person alive, and just now he needed all luck he could get.

He was startled away from his thoughts by a voice from behind.

“Your uncle said I might find you here. He wanted to make sure you weren’t off somewhere brooding.” 

He spun around to see Katara leaning against a pillar, a small smirk on her face.

Zuko scowled. “I’m not brooding. I’m…thinking.”

She walked over to stand next to him at the railing. She was still her Water Tribe blue, but now also had a fire lily woven into her hair, one that she had obviously gotten from one of the many street vendors in the city. “Thinking about what?” she asked him.

“About being Fire Lord.”

She tilted her head curiously. “Are you nervous?”

“I’m not nervous,” Zuko said, closing his eyes. “I’m terrified.”

“Why?”

“I’m scared that I’m not as good of a person as my uncle thinks I am. I’m scared I’ll go back to my old ways, or worse, that the country will go back to theirs and it’ll be all my fault. I’m scared that I’ll wake up one day and when I look into the mirror I’ll see my father’s face staring back at me.”

He opened his eyes to find her staring at him, and he swallowed and looked away, embarrassed at her look of open caring and concern.

“Zuko…” she said softly. “I don’t think that will ever happen.”

“How do you know?”

She smiled. “Because I know _you_. Maybe not as well as your uncle, but I know enough. You’re smart and fearless, and you never give up when things are hard. Even just the fact that you’re worried about turning into your father means that you’ll never let yourself become him. And besides—"

She reached out and touched his chest, directly over the spot where his lighting scar still tingled and burned.

“You risked your life for a girl you barely know, who had been your enemy only a few short months ago. You’d do anything to—" she blushed and looked away suddenly.

“—To protect the people I care about” Zuko finished for her. He reached up and gently covered her hand in his. She looked up to meet his gaze and they stared at each other for a long moment. Her eyes were as blue as the ocean on a summer’s day, and Zuko felt as if he were drowning in them.

“Thank you, Katara,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d be standing here today if it weren’t for you.”

“No, thank _you_. You saved _my_ life, remember? I don’t know what I would have done if you had—if you had—"

She broke away suddenly, and Zuko was shocked to see tears swimming in her eyes. He had only seen her cry twice before; once in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, and once as he lay on the stones of the palace courtyard, still shaking from the aftershocks of electricity coursing through his body. He hated the fact that every time, he had been the cause of those tears.

“Katara…” he rasped. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” He wanted to reach for her again but decided against it, not knowing if he should or if she would even want him to.

“I know.” Katara looked up and gave him a watery smile. “But I _am_ scared for you Zuko, though not for the reasons you think. Ozai and Azula still have their loyal supporters out there, and I don’t trust any of these two-faced nobles. I know you have Iroh and Mai at least, but I just wish we weren’t leaving so soon.”

His stomach dropped. “What? You’re…leaving?”

She nodded sadly. “Tomorrow morning. Aang is going to take Sokka, Dad and I back to the South Pole. It’ll be the first time I’ve been home in over a year—I’ve missed it so much.”

“I know the feeling.”

They fell silent for a long time after that. Zuko stared out into the city. He would miss them all, he thought, but especially her. It was hard to disentangle his complicated web of feelings for Katara. He respected her, cared about her, was even a little scared of her if he were honest, but beyond that…it was best not to think about. During the war, there hadn’t been time to sort through his feelings, and now, it just felt unfaithful to Mai. But even he couldn’t deny the strong connection they had. Even though they were so different, he sometimes had the feeling that they understood each other in a way that no one else could.

Katara sighed, and Zuko looked over to see her staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face that she quickly tried to hide. “I should probably go,” she said reluctantly. “We have an early start tomorrow.”

Zuko nodded. He stepped forward tentatively and she met him in the middle, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek to his shoulder. She was gentle, trying not to aggravate his injury, but he was still reminded of their hug on the dock of his family’s beach house, only a few short weeks ago. This hug went on for much longer.

“You’re going to be a really good Fire Lord, Zuko,” she whispered into his shoulder. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Her hair smelled like sea salt and fire lilies.

Finally, they broke apart. 

Katara smiled at him. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m actually gonna miss you,” she teased.

Zuko smirked. “You’ll miss threatening me nearly every day, I’m sure.”

She laughed. “Maybe. But honestly, I’m really glad we’re friends now.”

“Yeah,” Zuko said softly. "Me too.”

They were interrupted by a small, polite cough. Uncle Iroh stood by the doorway, a mischievous look in his eye that made Zuko scowl. 

“Fire Lord Zuko, it is nearly time for the fireworks to start,” he said calmly. "We should be rejoining the party soon. Miss Katara—" he dipped his head and smiled at her. “—I believe your father is looking for you.”

Katara bowed. “Thank you, General Iroh. Zuko—"

She turned to look at him, that same unreadable expression in her eyes that made his heart catch. He was struck by the fact that this may be the last time he would see her for a very long time.

“We’ll meet again soon,” he said quickly as if trying to make himself believe it too. “You know you’re always welcome to come back and visit if you’d like.”

She smiled sadly. “I know. Goodbye, Zuko.”

She turned away for the last time and walked back into the palace. Zuko watched her go with a strange ache in his chest that had nothing to do with his lightning wound. Or maybe it did. 

_Goodbye_ , he thought.

Uncle was watching him, looking, if possible, even more smug. That at least tore Zuko away from his thoughts.

“I don’t want to hear about it,” he muttered.

But Iroh only smiled. “The sun may be setting, nephew, but a new age of the Fire Nation is on the horizon. Do not be afraid of what comes with it. Those who love you will help you to steer your ship.”

Zuko nodded. “I know,” he said softly.

The sun finally dipped below the horizon and the people in the streets started to release their paper lanterns into the sky. Many of them looked like nothing more than tiny pinpricks of light from this great distance, but they came together to illuminate the entire city and the mountains beyond.

Zuko knew that the fireworks were starting soon, that his absence at the party was now probably very conspicuous, but he found himself wanting to linger a moment longer. Soon he would have to return to the new challenges of being Fire Lord, but for now, he was content to gaze out into the city as the ocean of lanterns slowly floated up into the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Hope you all enjoyed.
> 
> I don't think that either Zuko or Katara would be in the right headspace to pursue anything with each other immediately after the war ended but I'm sure Zuko's heroics would have stirred up some buried feelings lol
> 
> I've been considering starting a multi-chapter fic focusing on Katara and Zuko post-war and going to find Zuko's mother, and maybe including some Azula character study too. I'm honestly fascinated by her descent into madness and I wish that they had more time in the show to explore it. I know this is a crowded genre with some really amazing fics out there already, but still, let me know if you'd be interested!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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